Member-only story
Trump Normalized Open Racism; We’re Still Paying the Price
MAGA fans won’t get away with Trump-like behavior
During the recent House Select Committee hearing on 1/6, several police officers testified about white nationalism’s role in the Capitol attack. Of course, some FOX News Channel staffers and other right-wing commentators pushed back against this. The right-wing see any mention of the word “white supremacy” as a red flag; say that and they automatically become defensive.
This is not surprising because white nationalism plays a significant role in the GOP. It was always slightly obscured, but during the Trump years, it was out in the open. And Republican voters loved him for it. Many Americans liked Trump because he talked openly about expelling Mexicans and Muslims. He also used birtherism to denigrate Barack Obama, the nation’s first Black president. By doing so, he fed the resentment of Americans who didn’t believe a Black man should occupy that position.
